Hand-brake for railway-cars



1. F. OCONNOR.

HAND BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION man JULY 21, |919.

1,361,484, Patented Dec. 7, 1920;

v Hg! Imm fag;

I HIV/2n l I UNITED STATES `PATENT l OFFICE. Y

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CI-IICLAGO,l ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM I-I.MINER, .OF CI-IAZY, YORK.

HAND-BRAKE For. RAILWAY-CARS.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed July 21, 1919. Serial N0. 312,133.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Jol-IN F. OCoNNoR, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county o-fCook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Imorovement in Hand-Brakes for Itailwaylars, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hand brakes for railway cars.

The object of my invention is to provide F a simple and efficient handbrake and one which shall dispense with pawl holding springs.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is anelevation of the brake embodying my invention. And Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken on line 2w-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken online 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indin cates a portion of a carto whichthe brake is attached. Rigidly secured theretoas for instance, by therivets 11-is a fixed housing 12 having an internal incline 13 and acircular groove 14: in its bottom inem-y ber, the said groove beingadapted to receive the lower flange 15 0f the revolving frame 16. Thehousing 12 is closed at its upper end by the top plate 17 provided withthe hand-hold 18 upwardly extended and internally provided with thecircular recess 19, to receive the top flange 20 of the revolving frame16. The said frame is held within the housing 12 between the member 17and the lower wall of the fixed housing. The housing is also providedwith a perforation 21 for the passage of the brake staff 22, of whichonly the upper portion is shown, the said brake staif having fixedthereon a ratchet 23, the upper and lower ends of which-as at 24-arcprovided with bearing portions `and intermediate said ends havingratchet teeth 25.

The revolving frame 16 is provided with an inclined way 26 within whichis received a gravity pawl 27. The said pawl is provided on its inneredge 28 with ratchet teeth which may be of any suitable number, andwhich are adapted to engage the teeth 25 of the ratchet, throughouttheir length. The gravity ypawl is provided with an undercut shoulder29, downwardly extended as at 30, forming a bearing face for the tooth'31, provided upon the inner end of the operating llever 32, which ispivoted to the revolving frame as at 33. The said lever is adapted to beraised and lowered as hereinafter described. The revolving frame isprovided with stops 34 adapted to engage shoulders. on the housing 12,as appears from an inspection of F ig. 3, to suitably limit the rotationof the frame in the operation ofthe brake.

Between the incline 13 of the housing and the opposed inclined portionof the top plate, is formed an inclined groove 35, within which isreceived the gravity locking pawl 36. The said pawl is provided with aslot 37 which receives the linger 38 of the locking pawl operating arm39, which is pivoted to the housing as at 40. The locking pawl isprovided at its inner edge with the teeth 11 which are adapted to engagesubstantially the entire length of the teeth 25 upon the ratchet. Thebrake described is one in which no springs are used, either inconnection with the operating pawl or the locking pawl. It will be notedthat these pawls engage a suitable length of the ratchet, thus insuringa certain engagement and con1- paratively little wear.

In operating the brake, the handle 32 is elevated from its hanginginoperative position to its horizontal operative position, the tooth 31thereon dropping, and gravity drawing the operating pawl downwardly inits incline within the revolving frameuntil it is in engagement with theteeth of the ratchet. The handle is then swung in a horizontal planerotating the ratchet and its shaft in a clockwise direction, asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to such extent as shall bedesired and during this turning, the locking pawl will ride in and outof engage ment against the teeth, the locking pawl operating handle 39remaining stationary 100 by reason of the diagonal slot 42 shown in Fig.2 of the drawing, which will permit the riding of the locking pawl uponthe ratchet without movement of the said handle 39.

Upon release of the operating pawl the ing of the ratchet, the operatingpawl will ride back and forth upon the teeth of the ratchet and over thelong inclines 43 of saidY teeth, this being permitted through theclearance between the end 31 of the .handle and the operating pawl. Ifit is desired to remove the locking pawl from its engagement with theratchet, said removal can be effected through pulling upon the outer endof the lever 39, forcing the locking pawl outwardly in its incline inthehousing.

I claim:

l. In a hand brake the combination with a shaft and a ratchet thereon,of a housing receiving said ratchet, a revolving frame associated withthe housing, a pivoted lever thereon, a pawl mounted in said frame, theframe being provided with an inclined groove within which the said pawlmoves by gravity into engagement with the ratchet and is withdrawn fromsaid engagement by the operating handle.

2. In a hand brake, the combination with a housing having a shafttherein and a ratchet mounted on said shaft, of a frame swinginglymounted on said housing, said frame being provided with a downwardlyinclined groove, a pawl slidingly received in said groove, and a handleto actuate said pawl. v

3. In a hand brake, in combination: the casing, an incline therein, agravity holding pawl slidingly mounted in said incline, a brake staff, aratchet thereon within said housing, a. frame swingingly mounted in thehousing, a handlepivoted to said frame, the saidv frame being providedwith an incline and having a gravity pawl slidingly mounted therein toengage theratchet, the upward movement of the pawl in said incline beingeffected byrsaid handle.

4. Ina hand brake for railway cars, in

combination: aframe, a brake staff having a ratchet therein, means forsupporting the same, the frame having a downwardly extended incline, a.gravity pawl slidingly mounted therein, a handle pivoted to the frame,the gravity pawl being provided with a shoulder, said handle beingadapted to rotate the frame, and to elevate the pawl in the saidincline.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 14th day of July, 1919. Y

JOHN F. CONN'OR.

